For a month now, members of the National Union of Health Workers of Guatemala (SNTSG) have held rallies in different departments of the country to demand that the authorities of the Ministry of Health new salary increase.
Luis Alpirez, leader of the SNTSG, points out that The ceiling of the increase they request is Q4 thousand for all workers. It is the same approach that they presented to the Health authorities in September 2024 and that they addressed again in a meeting with Minister Joaquín Barnoya on June 8.
“This ceiling is modifiable, but with responsibility and with adherence to the cost of the basic basket,” says the union member.
Salud offered to present a proposal but to date the union has not received it. Health professionals too They seek a meeting with President Bernardo Arévalo to present your list of requests.
It is worth remembering that, in May 2025, Barnoya announced a salary increase of Q1 thousand 200 for permanent workers and a economic incentive of Q2 thousand for contractors, which would be retroactive to January of that year. This, to comply with Decree 36-2024, Law of the General Budget of State Income and Expenditures for Fiscal Year 2025, which was approved by the Congress of the Republic to strengthen the human resources of the Ministry of Health.
However, Alpirez indicates that they were not satisfied with this increase, which they consider “a bonus”, since it was not based on the base salary; Furthermore, it did not meet the expectations of what they requested.
He points out that Health workers were at the forefront during the pandemic and that now, with the measles outbreak, they actively participate in the vaccination campaign, even on weekends, without receiving a salary increase, as has happened with the workers of the Legislative Body, the Supreme Court of Justice and the Ministry of Education.
Among the demands of the union members is also to continue with the Transfer of contract personnel to permanent positionsthe promotions and administrative career. In addition, they ask that the process be done with order and transparency, without “favoring” specific disciplines, so as not to create division among health professionals.
Alpirez points out that a problem that has occurred in the Ministry of Health is that temporary personnel are transferred to permanent positions, but contract positions are filled again. “There is no way they can put an end to all this hiring that is harmful to the worker, and he accepts it because he has a need,” he adds.
As of May of this year, In the registry of the Ministry of Health there are 79,514 workers in permanent and temporary lines.
“There is no way they can put an end to all this hiring that is harmful to the worker, and he accepts it because he has a need.”
Luis Alpírez, leader of the National Union of Health Workers of Guatemala (SNTSG)
Fact measurements
On July 3, the SNTSG leadership met with a representative of the Departmental Government of Guatemala, whom they asked to intervene to arrange a meeting with President Arévalo and present the union’s list of demands.
This meeting is subject to the progress of the proposal that the Ministry of Health makes regarding the salary increase formulated by the workers. However, Alpírez indicates that, since June 8, when they met with Barnoya, They have not received a specific responseonly that consultations are made with the portfolio’s financial team.
From that day on, the unionists carried out mobilizations in the different executing units to be heard. If you do not receive a response to your requests, They do not rule out carrying out massive marches and road blockadeswhich will be discussed in assemblies that will take place this week.
“If they don’t want to listen to us outright, because we have been patient, the assembly will determine what is going to be done (…) If there is no increase for health workers, there will be no peace for the Government,” says Alpirez.
Last year, Ministry of Health workers took to the streets for several weeks to demand compliance with the article 140 of Decree 36-2024which established a salary increase, an economic incentive for workers, the reclassification of all personnel and the continuation of the transfer of contract personnel to permanent positions.
Unilateral increase
The increase in salary and the economic incentive that the Ministry of Health provided to health professionals in 2025 was due to the financial capacity of the portfolio, according to the authorities. However, this l was not well received by union members, who asked for a higher figure.
The amount awarded to the workers was decided “unilaterally” by the Health authorities, as was done with the salary improvement granted last year by the Ministry of Education to teachersnoted the group at that time.
Regarding the meeting requested by the SNTSG leadership with President Arévalo, the Secretariat of Social Communication of the Presidency reported that, at the moment, there is no one scheduled on the president’s agenda; However, there are various mechanisms so that these requests can be received and attended to.
He added: “Dialogue has been a permanent characteristic of this Government. We believe in listening, in building agreements and in coordinated work with the different sectors of the country, through the existing institutional mechanisms to address the concerns and approaches of the different organizations.”
The Ministry of Health was asked for a position on the issue of salary increases for health workers, but at the time of going to press it did not respond.